Woman Dies In Police Custody Because Of Dehydration

50-year-old Joyce Curnell, who suffered from a stomach illness, was denied water and medical care at the Charleston County jail.

50-year-old Joyce Curnell was found dead in the Charleston County jail after spending 27 hours locked up and deprived of water. The woman spent most of the time vomiting and unable to eat. She suffered from a stomach illness. She even couldn’t call for help. Jailers just gave her a trash can for vomit, because medical staffers refused to provide her any help. They even didn’t give her a sip of water.

“Providing access to reasonable medical care to those under police custody is a necessity, not a privilege,” the family attorney said. “It is a constitutional right. We are committed to seeking justice for Joyce and for her family.”

The woman was arrested straight at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital in Charleston, where she received treatment, for unpaid fines from a 2011 shoplifting charge.
Doctors from her hospital ordered her to receive prompt medical attention if she showed symptoms, including vomiting, abdominal pain, and dizziness. However, the jail staff ignored the symptoms.

Moreover, they never gave her any medical treatment.

A series of deaths of black women in law enforcement custody seems to be endless. American prisons are the government’s tool for destroying black population. Everyone who refused to help this woman and ignored symptoms that she showed should face criminal charges.